The Unexpected Lady Potter
by mrsblack0905
Summary: Harry's life ended at the Final Battle, yet the light prevailed. Hermione attempts to move on with her life after Harry leaves her the title of Lady Potter, but an accident with a Potter Family Heirloom sends her hurtling through time, and back into war.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I seriously can't believe I am posting another story! This is a product of a little free writing I did to get over some writer's block and it blossomed (with the help of Travelilah) into this. I know it's another time travel story BUT these are my favorite types to read and write. I can't wait to see what everybody thinks so read, review, favorite, follow, all that good stuff. Now without further ado I present to you...The Unexpected Lady Potter.**

Chapter 1

 **September 7, 1998**

One hundred and twenty-eight was the number that haunted her. It had been exactly one hundred and twenty-eight days since they had won the war. One hundred and twenty-eight days since the Light prevailed and the wizarding world celebrated the defeat of the darkest wizard in history.

For Hermione Granger, war heroine, brains of the Golden Trio, and whatever other moniker the public deemed appropriate to bestow upon her, the past one hundred and twenty-eight days had been the worst of her life. The Light may have won, but the price of doing so was steep. She had lost everything. Her parents, who were supposed to be safe in Australia, were gone. Killed in a car accident barely two months after they moved. She tried to protect them, only to send them to their deaths. Then there was Harry. Harry James Potter, her best friend, her brother in everything but blood, the one who she swore to herself would make it out alive even if she died, because he had lost too much and deserved to live and have a good life, gave his life to save not only her but all of Wizarding Britain.

When she saw Harid carrying Harry's body out of the forest, she felt her heart shatter for the only family she had left. Funnily enough, it had been Neville who had pulled her out of her sorrow. He had reminded her and every fighter for the Light, that the war wasn't about Harry, but about equality for all. Then Neville killed the snake, and with Voldemort mortal once more, the fighting broke out again. The Order and the DA began to fight with renewed vigor, wanting to avenge Harry or other loved ones or simply to see the war finished once and for all. After Molly killed Bellatrix, with Voldemort distracted, Professors McGonagall and Slughorn along with Kingsley Shacklebolt simultaneously fired killing curses at the deranged wizard ending his life for good this time.

The world began to both celebrate the victory and mourn the loved ones lost. Hermione knew she wasn't the only one who lost somebody. The Weasley's lost not only Harry but Fred as well; both Ginny and George were barely hanging on. George lost his other half, while Ginny lost the love of her life. Andromeda Tonks lost her husband, daughter, and son-in-law, and was now a single mother raising her grandson. Little Teddy Lupin would never know his parents or his godfather. So many lives had been taken all due to a skewed belief that the purity of one's blood made you superior.

Now, one hundred and twenty-eight days later and Hermione was once again laying in bed thinking about the death and destruction she had somehow survived. She knew eventually she would need to start moving on with her life. It would be an insult to the memories of those who gave their lives for her freedom if she didn't. It would be an insult to Harry, but for now she just wanted to lay in bed for a few more minutes missing her best friend and brother.

"Hermione, dear. Are you awake?" came Mrs. Weasley's voice as she knocked on the door to her and Ginny's room. "Breakfast is ready when you are. You don't want to meet with the goblins hungry."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley. I'll be down soon," the curly-haired witch called through the door. She forgot about the summons to Gringotts today. Four weeks after the final battle, after all the funerals had ended, and reconstruction had begun, her, Ron, and Ginny had received summons to Gringotts for the reading of Harry's Will. Hermione didn't even know Harry had a Will but apparently before they left on the Horcrux hunt he sent an owl to the goblins detailing what should happen in the event of his death. The three of them sat down and agreed that they weren't quite ready to face the harsh reality of The Last Will and Testament of Harry James Potter. So Hermione sent an owl scheduling their meeting for the first Monday of September, hoping by then life would be just a little bit easier.

Deciding that she couldn't lay in bed any longer or risk being late, something the goblins didn't take to kindly to and both she and Ron already weren't in their good books after the amount of destruction they caused with the dragon, she got out of bed to take a quick shower. Ten minutes and a well placed charm later, she showered and her hair was dry and slightly tamed. She pulled on jeans, a jumper, her trainers, and grabbed her still packed beaded bag before she pocketed her wand and made her way downstairs into the kitchen of the Burrow. Ron and Ginny were sitting next to each other, while Charlie was across from Ginny.

Charlie hadn't been there when Fred died but decided to take an indefinite leave of absence from the dragon sanctuary to attend the funeral and to be there for his family in the aftermath. He originally said it was because he knew his Mum needed all of her children close to her, but later confided in Hermion how much guilt he had over the fact he didn't fight alongside his family; then maybe he could have protected his little brother.

Taking her seat next to Charlie, Molly placed a plate filled with eggs, bacon, and sausage in front of Hermione. "Now eat up dear. These things can take hours. You know how goblins can be. You may not have a chance for lunch." Mrs. Weasley instructed her as she began to fill another plate. "Can you please take this up to George, Charlie? He hasn't come down yet."

"Of course Mum." Charlie gave his mum a sad smile before grabbing the plate and heading up the stairs. George rarely make it out of his room for breakfast and never for dinner anymore. Charlie was the only one he'll speak to and told him he just can't face a family dinner and not see Fred there yet. The whole family understood but remained worried. They doubted George would ever be ready.

"Are you two ready for today?" Hermione solemnly asked the remaining Weasley siblings.

Ron's grimace and Ginny's eyes filled with tears were all the answer Hermione needed, but Ginny replied anyway.

"No, but I don't think I'll ever be ready."

The other two nodded their heads in agreement and no more was said while they finished eating.

"Come on. Let's get going. Mum is right, this could take all day and I for one don't want to have to go back another day to finish everything." Ron stated after a few minutes of silence. Ever since he returned to the tent after leaving the Horcrux hunt, Ron had changed. He was more mature, more authoritative, he no longer had the emotional range of a teaspoon (he had upgraded to a tablespoon at least). She knew Ron had feelings for her, and once upon a time she did as well, but despite the growth Ron had shown over the past few months she didn't think she would ever be able to fully forgive him for the abandonment. So when he went to put his hand on the small of her back to lead her to the Floo she casually sidestepped him so as not to lead him on. The day was going to be stressful enough without any other emotional baggage.

The trio was quiet as they made their way to Gringotts. Diagon Alley was bursting with life once more but they hardly noticed, each attempting to mentally prepare for what they viewed as a final goodbye to Harry. Once inside the bank, a goblin, who didn't introduce himself and was keeping an annoyingly close eye on Ron and Hermione, quickly ushered them into a private office.

"Good morning. Thank you for meeting with us today. I am Ragnok, director of Gringotts. This is the Potter Family account manager, Gornuk." The goblin seated behind the large, mahogany desk introduced himself and the goblin standing next to him as Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all sat in the three armchairs provided for them. "As stated in our owl, this meeting is in regards to the Last Will and Testament of Lord Harry James Potter. Gornuk will do the reading of the Will and then escort the three of you down to the Potter Family vault to conduct inventory and make sure the Will is carried out properly. Before we begin though we must verify your identities. You understand given recent security breaches," Ragnok said with a cruel smile, clearly referring to when Harry, Ron, and Hermione broke in. "All we will need is a few drops of blood each."

"Excuse me but blood? Surely you could do a simple wand verification?" Hermione asked, slightly flustered. She had seen enough blood for one lifetime, and had no desire to willingly make herself bleed.

"Wands can be stolen Miss Granger," Ragnok replied simply with a knowing look.

Of course, she had used Bellatrix's wand when she impersonated her. The goblins would use that against her. "Understandable Director Ragnok," she acquiesced with a tight smile.

A quick cut to each of their palms later and their identities were verified.

"Now that is out of the way, let's begin. Gornuk if you please," Ragnok instructed.

The goblin grabbed a scroll off the desk, cleared his throat and began. "The Last Will and Testament of Lord Harry James Potter read on this date Monday the Seventh of September 1998. Estate executor, Gornuk. Witness, Ragnok. Benefactors, Ronald Bilius Weasley, Ginevra Molly Weasley, Hermione Jean Granger, and Remus John Lupin."

"Pardon," Hermione stopped Gornuk.

With a glare at the interruption, Gornuk asked with an air of disdain, "Yes?"

"Remus Lupin? He died in the final battle," the witch started to say.

"We are aware. His inheritance will be left to the Lupin family. We have already spoken with young Master Lupin's guardian. His portion of the estate will be stored in a trust for him until he turns of age. Now if there are no more questions, let's continue," the goblin finished with a glare.

"Yes, of course. Sorry," Hermione said tightly.

"To Ronald Bilius Weasley I leave my Firebolt, Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow, one quarter of the Potter fortune, and all Quidditch memorabilia located in the Potter Family Vault," Gornuk continued reading the Will.

At this Ron leaned forward in his seat and put his head in his hands, trying to stop the tears from falling. His best friend, his brother was really gone. He wanted him to have the first thing his godfather ever gave him, one of his most treasured possessions. And why in the world would he want Ron to have the cottage in Godric's Hollow?

After a moment's pause to let everything sink in Gornuk pushed forward, "To Ginevra Molly Weasley I leave Grimmuald Place, all jewelry located in the Potter Family Vault, and one quarter of the Potter fortune."

Ginny had been staring at the opposite wall from the moment they had sat down. The only way to tell she had even heard what the goblin said was by the tears that were flowing down her face, though she wasn't doing anything to stop them

"To Hermione Jean Granger I leave Potter Manor and all its contents, including the extensive library, one quarter of the Potter fortune, and I hereby make you my official heir. Upon my death you will receive the title of Lady Potter," Gornuk finished as he rolled up the parchment he was reading from.

Shocked, Hermione was the only one to verbalize a response. "What? Lady Potter? But that should be Ginny! I don't understand."

"Hermione…" Ginny started.

"No, Ginny," she interrupted. "He loved you. You would have been Lady Potter once the two of you were married."

"We do not ask questions as to why our clients choose to leave what they do and to whom, we simply execute their wishes. Now if you are quite done there are a few more matters to attend to," Gornuk interjected. "Lord Potter also sent along letters to each of you, to be distributed upon the reading of his will. You also must visit the Potter vault and conduct an inventory before everything is divided up."

Ron spoke for the first time since entering the bank. "Letters? Can we have those now?"

"We really are very busy. We will relinquish the letters but we insist on taking you down to the vault now," Ragnok responded.

Hermione stood up, with Ron and Ginny following her lead. "Alright. Let's get this over with then. We're ready," her voice sounding a lot stronger than she felt.

"Follow me then," Gornuk instructed, escorting the trio out of the Director's office and down to the underground vaults of the bank.

All four settled themselves into one of the carts before it took off deep into the bowels of Gringotts. After about ten minutes or so the cart finally slowed to a stop and Gornuk exited first. "Vault 687, the Potter Family Vault. You will have as much time as you need down here. We have already removed the inheritance left to young Master Lupin per the instructions of his guardian. Let me know before you leave how you would like to handle each of your inheritance. Miss Granger you will also need to see me for instructions on how to enter Potter Manor. Here are your letters," Gornuk informed them as he pulled out three different envelopes from his pocket. "I will take my leave now. The cart will automatically take you to the top once you have finished." With that the goblin spun around and walked out, leaving Ron, Hermione, and Ginny alone.

"Well what do you want to do first?" Hermione asked.

"I want to read my letter," Ginny responded immediately. "I need to know what he said."

"Alright, we'll all find a place to read, then I guess we'll get started on the inventory. I really don't want to be here all day," Hermione agreed.

The three split up and found a spot a good distance away from the others, each wanting their privacy to read the last words Harry wanted to say to them.

Hermione settled herself on the top of what looked like to be an old Hogwarts trunk before opening her letter.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _This is hard to write, and I hope you never have to read this. I want to make it out of this damn war alive, but I just don't think that's in the cards for me. So in the very likely event that I've died, first I want you to know that I love you. You are my sister, my best friend, and the best family that I could have asked for. Who would have thought the little girl I met on the train who knew too many spells already would have become one of the most important people in my life and save my life more times than I can count. I know you will miss me and mourn me, but please don't wallow too long. You have so much to do in the world and I don't want you spending your time wishing for what could have been._

 _I do have a favor to ask of you, and I know I may not have a right to, but despite the fact I am no longer there I will always need your help. Please look after Ginny and Ron. Keep them together. Make sure Ginny moves on eventually. I love her with all my heart but I want her to be happy. I know one day she will meet somebody else, and I don't want her to keep herself closed off from that. And Ron, he doesn't always handle emotions well (in case you hadn't noticed), I don't want him to lose himself. Make sure he doesn't do anything he would regret._

 _As for you, you're probably wondering why I made you Lady Potter rather than Ginny, after all I would have married her the first chance I got and she would have had the title. It's simple really, our world has to change, and you have the intelligence and ability to help affect the change that is needed. I would like you to take up the Potter Family seat on the Wizengamot. Help change our laws, help to make our world a more equal place. I know that is something you want to do and I know you are more than capable._

 _I will miss all of you more than you know, but try to remember that wherever I end up I'll be happy. I'll be with my parents and Sirius, and I will always be with you as well._

 _All my love,_

 _Harry_

Fresh tears were streaming down Hermione's face as she finished her letter. Merlin, she missed that man, but he was right. There was no point in wishing for what could have been. So she would honor his memory and do exactly as he asked: take care of those he loved and make sure the world changed so Harry didn't die in vain.

With a new resolve, she stood up and brushed the tears from her face determined to move forward. As she put the letter in her pocket, she went to find Ginny and Ron, to see if they were finished reading yet.

She found them toward the back of the vault, Ron's arms around Ginny as she sobbed into his chest. The curly haired witch's heart broke for the younger girl. Hermione would do as Harry said and help Ginny move on, just maybe not for awhile.

Hermione tried to back away quietly to give the siblings some privacy but Ron caught her movement out of the corner of his eye and beckoned her over to them. She sat down in front of the two and placed her hand on Ginny's arm, not knowing what to say.

Eventually, her sobs quieted and she was able to pull herself together.

"I still just can't believe he's gone," Ginny whispered.

"I know," Ron agreed, "It doesn't seem real still."

Hermione took a deep breath before pushing forward. "It doesn't but let's get on with this. We don't want to be here all day, and then after we can get a drink. Maybe see if any of the DA wants to join us at the Leaky, and try to remember all of the good things about Harry."

Ginny sat up straighter and wiped at her eyes. "You're right. Let's get this over with. I don't like being here. What do we do first?"

"There should be a ledger here somewhere that keeps an inventory of the vault. I believe we just have to record in there where everything is supposed to go, so either of your vaults or my own," Hermione guessed.

"You could just leave everything of yours in this vault if you wanted to most likely," Ron offered.

Hermione wrinkles her nose. "That doesn't feel right. This isn't my vault, it's for Potters."

"Yeah but you're Lady Potter now, so this is your vault."

She paused before speaking. "Oh, well yes. I guess you're right."

"So how should we do this?" Ginny asked.

"How about we start by making a list of everything we want to take with us today, then we'll start annotating what goes to which vault," Hermione suggested. "We'll start at the back and work our way forward?"

With a plan of action the trio found the ledger located towards the front of the vault and then made their way to the back to begin working.

After a few hours they were almost completely through. The only thing left was to go through the trunk that Hermione had sat on earlier. She took the time to examine it this time and noticed the initials "CFP" engraved on it.

"CFP?" Hermione wondered aloud. "Who do you think that would be?"

"Dunno," was the answer that came from Ron. "Mum might know though, she grew up having to know the names of every Pureblood. The Prewetts were a little higher in the Sacred 28 than the Weasleys, so they cared about those types of things."

"Hmm.." was Hermione's only answer. She opened the trunk and noticed that it seemed to be a bunch of personal items. It looked like some old school books, a few journals, some small pieces of jewelry, and what looked to be a very old and very large pocket watch. Drawn to it, the witch picked it up to examine it.

"What's that?" Ginny asked, as she pulled out some of the books.

Hermione flipped it open to examine it. "I'm not sure, it looks kind of like a watch but it's not like any watch that I've ever seen. There are runes engraved, and no numbers. I've never seen runes like this before. They're fascinating." Before she could change her mind, Hermione made a note in the ledger that she would be taking it with her. She couldn't wait to examine it.

Another few minutes later and they had finally finished everything. Hermione placed the ledger back where it belonged and all three exited the vault with the door closing automatically behind them.

As the goblin said, the cart took them automatically back to the top. The trio exited and returned to the Director's office as they had been previously instructed.

After knocking and being given permission to enter the office, Hermione entered first wanting to finish as quickly as possible. "Director, Gornuk. The ledger has been updated. Everything can be moved accordingly based on that. You said you also have to tell me how I can access Potter Manor?"

"Yes Lady Potter. I believe your companions should wait outside," Ragnok advised.

"No, they can stay."

"Very well. If you so choose. Gornuk, continue."

"After the passing of Charlus and Dorea Potter, James Potter chose to not reside in Potter Manor with his family. It is not widely known but it was placed under a Fidelius Charm, with me as the Secret Keeper. I have written the address down for you to share at your discretion," Gornuk informed Hermione handing her a slip of parchment.

 _Potter Manor is located in Yorkshire, five kilometers west of Godric's Hollow town center._

"Thank you Gornuk, Director Ragnok. If that will be all?"

"Yes. Our business here is complete for now. Lady Potter, I would recommend meeting once a year to go over the Potter accounts and investments," advised Gornuk.

"Of course. I'll keep that in mind," Hermione replied before turning to Ginny and Ron. "Let's go."

The trio left the office and walked out of the bank in silence. About halfway down the alley Ron broke the silence, "So the Leaky? I could use a drink."

"Me too," Ginny agreed.

Hermione nodded in agreement and the three headed off towards the pub.

 **May 15, 1999**

They had made it over a year since the war ended. Hermione finally moved out of the Burrow and into Potter Manor after it had been cleaned out. Ron fixed up Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow, and Ginny renovated Grimmuald Place.

They were all striving to carry out Harry's final wishes, to move on and live their lives as best as possible. Hermione had thought about not moving into the house and donating her inheritance to help rebuild the Wizarding World, and she did donate some. But she realized she would never be able to work to support herself and dedicate as much time as she felt necessary to changing the laws in the Wizengamot. So she decided to suck it up and use what Harry had left her.

Hermione spent her days in the Ministry researching laws and sitting in on Wizengamot sessions, and trying to push along her own campaign for werewolf and muggleborn equality. Her nights were spent in the Potter library researching the unusual watch she had found in the Potter Vault all those months ago.

It was a slow going process but so far she had discovered it was a Time Turner of sorts (it had taken her about six months alone to make that discovery). It seemed to be very old, and unlike any Time Turner she had ever seen but she was quite fascinated by it. Ever since her third year, she had been especially interested in Time magic. She didn't necessarily want to use it, she knew horrible things happened to those who meddled with time, but her curious nature compelled her to figure out how it worked.

As it was Saturday, and Hermione had no plans, she decided to take her research outside. She set up her breakfast out in the gardens, before grabbing the watch, the journal with all of the notes she had taken, and a runic book to help her decipher the last of the runes.

After an hour or so of being absorbed in her book, with the watch by her elbow on the table, Hermione went to reach for her fork. Not paying attention, she grabbed the knife instead, cutting her hand. Hissing at the sting of the cut she jerked her hand back knocking the watch off the table. Without thinking, she reached out to catch it with her cut hand. As soon as she wrapped her bloodied hand around the watch, her world started to spin like a portkey and Hermione knew something was very, very wrong.

 **May 15, 1979**

Lily Potter was nervous. No, not nervous. Terrified. She and James had only been married a month and this was the first family dinner she was hosting. It had to go perfectly. She knew her mother-in-law wasn't her biggest fan. Dorea Potter did not think that Lily was good enough for her precious baby boy, she most likely didn't think any witch would be good enough for him, and Lily was determined that everything go perfectly. She had spent all day making a turkey and roast, the muggle way, she wasn't comfortable cooking use magic still, but Lily knew that it would be just as good, if not better.

Lily was putting the finishing touches on dessert when she heard everybody beginning to arrive.

"Oh James, she has you answering the door now? Dear you really should get a house elf, it would make everything so much easier." Lily heard Dorea say from the entrance way.

"Mother, we've talked about this. Lily and I can manage on our own. We are perfectly capable," came James's response as he led his mother into the sitting room, his father following.

Lily wiped her hands before heading into the other room to greet her guests.

A smile plastered on her face she greeted, "Dorea, Charlus. How are you?"

Charlus, a tall man with messy salt and pepper hair that James seemed to have inherited, got up from his seat on the couch to give his daughter-in-law a kiss on the cheek, "Lily, you look lovely. We're well. How have you been?"

"Fantastic! James and I have been looking forward to tonight for awhile. I've spent all day cooking."

"All day? You must have prepared a feast. There should only be five of us, once Sirius arrives," came from Dorea, Lily not missing the condescending tone in which she spoke. Dorea was a beautiful and regal witch. She was born a Black, and despite the small rumors about their sanity or lack therefore, one could not deny the Black Family was not lacking in looks. Her dark hair hadn't begun to grey yet and there were very few wrinkles on her face, giving her the look of a witch in her early 40s rather than her late 60s.

"I made everything the muggle way," Lily said in defence of her cooking.

"The muggle way? Without magic?" Dorea questioned.

James chuckled, "Yes mum, that is typically what 'the muggle way' means."

"I find it easier to cook without magic. It's the way I grew up," Lily defended herself. "Well dinner is ready as soon as Sirius arrives."

As if on cue the front door bursts open and they all hear "Prongs! You will not believe the bird I met last night. I thought about inviting her to dinner tonight"

"We're in here Sirius," James shouted, knowing there was no point in getting up.

Sirius sauntered into the sitting room to see that everybody else had already arrived. "Mum! Dad!"

"Hello darling," Dorea smiled at her adoptive son. "I believe you were just about to tell James about a bird. I hope it is an actual bird and not a witch. I know Charlus and I raised you to speak about witches better than that."

"Oh, err...of course. I met a bird, not a witch. I would never be disrespectful of a witch like that," Sirius stammered out, while both James and Charlus chuckled in the background and Lily rolled her eyes.

"So what kind of bird are you bringing to dinner? I think Lily has already got the turkey covered," Charlus joked.

"Did you meet a witch as well, dear? I would like grandchildren at some point and I won't get them with you gallivanting around chasing birds. I would like to meet one of your witches sooner rather than later," Dorea continued, as if her husband hadn't spoken, finding delight in how uncomfortable Sirius was.

"Err...I did, but maybe I'll tell the story later," Sirius managed to get out before turning to Lily, "Lily! Lovely to see you. I've been looking forward to a home cooked meal for ages."

"Sirius Black! You better not have invited one of your tramps into my home," the fiery red head scolded her husband's best friend.

"Now would I do that to you Lils?" Sirius tried to charm her.

"Yes!" Came a chorus of four voices.

"Alright, maybe I would. Anyway, what time is dinner? I'm starved," Sirius laughed.

"It's actually ready. We were just waiting for you," Lily informed the group.

The group of five made their way into the dining room to sit down, and Lily levitated all of the dishes onto the table. Nervous, she kept glancing at her mother-in-law's reaction, only to see Dorea staring judgmentally at every platter as it floated by.

As everybody settled in to begin filling their plates, there was a very loud crack, like the sound of apparition, and a petite, curly haired witch landed in the middle of the table. Food flew everywhere, ruining the meal. Lily was covered in gravy, as Dorea was pelted with the roast potatoes, and Charlus ended up wearing some of the salad. In their usual good fortune, both James and Sirius were free of any food particles.

The unknown witch seemed to be very disoriented as she looked around the room. The first person she seemed to focus on was James and her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Harry?" She gasped, before then focusing on Sirius. "Si - Sirius?"

Still shocked from her sudden appearance, nobody spoke as she continued to look at the other occupants of the room before looking down at what looked to be a very old watch that was clutched in her hand.

Looking back at Sirius, she whispered, "Oh no!" before passing out in the middle of the table.

Lily looked murderous as she glared at Sirius. The meal she worked so hard on had been ruined by what she assumed to be one of Sirius's trollops. James and Sirius seemed extremely confused, which went unnoticed by the red head, by the appearance of the witch, who neither of them had ever seen before. Charlus simply looked worried. He recognized the watch in her hand, and it should be in his old Hogwarts trunk, not in the hand of an unknown witch in the middle of his son's dining room.

Dorea was the first to break the silence, "Were we expecting anyone else?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I have been blown away by the response to this story! Thank you so much for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows. Many thanks to my beta Travelilah who has helped me develop this story and just been an awesome writing buddy. I hope everybody likes this chapter. Keep reviewing to let me know what you think! Many thanks and lots of love to all of my readers 3**

 **Disclaimer: I forgot to say at the beginning of the last chapter that I owe none of this. Everything belongs to JK Rowling.**

For a moment, nobody moved. Then Lily exploded, "Tell me you did NOT actually invite some tart you met in a pub to my dinner party, Sirius Black?"

"Me? I was just joking," Sirius said, defending himself, "I didn't actually invite the witch. I have no idea who she is!" He pointed to the witch on the table.

"Well, she clearly knows who you are," Lily spat at her husband's best friend.

"Oi! Stop yelling at me! I didn't do anything."

"Everybody stop it this instant!" Charlus shouted over the top of Lily and Sirius before they got to far into their row.

Now Charlus Potter was normally quite a reserved wizard. James could count on one hand the number of times his father lost his temper or raised his voice. His mother was normally the one to rant and rave, going from normal witch to screeching banshee in under five seconds. So when Charlus shouted, everyone in the room immediately quieted.

"James, shut down the floo and make sure the family wards are up," the elder Potter instructed his son. "I don't want anybody in or out for the time being. Is that clear?"

James immediately did as his father told, knowing not to question him in the moment.

"Now, let's get our guest off the dining room table. Let's put her on the couch in the sitting room before we wake her," Charlus continued to give instructions.

"Wake her? Don't you think we should restrain her first? We don't know who she is or how she managed to apparate in the middle of the dining room," Sirius protested.

Lily practically screeched at the same time, "I don't want one of Sirius's trollops in my home! She has to go!"

"Merlin, Evans," Sirius hissed, dragging his hands through his hair in frustration. "I told you I don't know who she is!" Sirius reiterated again, frustrated that he wasn't being believed.

"It's Potter, you-"

"Really you two, that is enough!" Dorea interjected, cutting Lily off. "We need to figure out what is going on and the two of you fighting like this isn't helping. Besides Lily dear, you really should begin to clean this up. You don't want the gravy stains to set into the carpet. It is dreadful to try and get out."

Lily gritted her teeth at the condescending tone her mother-in-law insisted on using when she talked to her. "Of course Dorea, I'll get right on that."

Everybody then began to do as the Potter Patriarch had instructed. Charlus took the unknown witch's wand as well as the Watch in her hand, even though he was pretty sure she wasn't a threat, while Dorea levitated the uninvited guest into the sitting room, with Sirius following the couple. Lily had opted to stay behind and take her mother-in-law's advice. Not because she was right but because she needed a minute to cool off. This night was not going how she had planned.

James entered the sitting room after having reinforced the wards around the house to find the strange witch laying on his couch with his mother, father, and Sirius surrounding her. "Where is Lily?"

"I believe she is cleaning up dear. We were just about to wake this girl though, you should probably be here," came from Dorea, as she waved him over to her side.

"Let me do the talking first. We don't want to scare her," Charlus ordered.

Sirius snorted, "Scare her? I think she's done a smashing job of scaring us don't you?"

Charlus simply glared at Sirius (not in the mood to be dealing with the smart ass) before conjuring a chair to be a bit more comfortable. He figured this was most likely going to be a long night and conversation to be had with the witch once she woke up. He then pointed his wand at the young witch's head and whispered, " _Ennervate._ "

Immediately the girl began to stir. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. As soon as she laid eyes on Sirius, again, she bolted upright and began to frantically search around for something. Padding herself up and down and hands fumbling in her pockets. Most likely looking for her wand.

"Woah, woah! Calm down, miss," Charlus said, holding his hands up in surrender. .

"No. Where's my wand? And my Watch? Who are you? What's going on?" She asked in rapid fire succession.

"My name is Charlus Potter. May I ask what your name is?"

"Charlus Potter?" she whispered, eyes wide. "I don't think it's a good idea if I say anything else."

"I think it might be a good idea for you to start talking. What are you doing in my home?" Lily's voice floated in from the doorway.

"Lily, please. Let me handle this," Charlus said briskly, not having the patience to deal with her attitude at the moment.

"Miss, I have the Watch right here, and I know exactly what it is," Charlus pulled out the watch from his pocket where he had stashed it. "Now I would like to know your name and how you came by it."

The witch seemed to be at war with herself as she was quiet for several moments before it seemed she had come to a decision. "I…..I found it in my vault. I didn't know what it was when I found it so I wanted to research it. I've been looking into it in my spare time for the past eight or so months."

"You found it in your vault? What is your name then?" Charlus continued to press.

She took a deep breath, knowing she could potentially be changing history by even talking to Charlus for the few minutes she had, but if she had already changed things what was a little more information. "Hermione Granger."

Charlus looked surprised. "Granger? I don't understand. You said it was in your vault. It should be in the Potter Family vault. I know you weren't born a Potter as Potter's only have sons. Did you not take your husband's name when you married into the family?"

"Well, you see...I didn't actually marry into the family," Hermione began.

Charlus interrupted, "Then how did you come across this? It is a Potter heirloom, it is supposed to be protected at all costs."

"I was bequeathed the title of Lady Potter. The last…," Hermione glanced at James and Lily with a sadness in her eyes. "The last of the Potter line died. He was my best friend. He left me the title as he wanted me to take up the Potter Wizengamot seat," giving the family surrounding her the bare amount of information.

"What do you mean the last of the Potter line died?" James asked sharply. "Both my father and I are still alive, and plan to be for many years. Who are you?"

"James, please," Charlus protested softly. His heart breaking for the future of his family. As soon as he saw the witch with the Watch in her hand, he knew she wasn't from this time. He knew the Watch was a failsafe for their family, to prevent the Potter line from dying out. If the last of the Potters died, the Watch would be activated by blood. It was meant to be passed down through the wives in the family. Dorea knew about it, but he hadn't told James about it yet, and James would have to be the one to tell Lily. The user who activated it would be able to go back and ensure the continuation of the family, but a small part of him had hoped that his family hadn't fallen so far. That Hermione's tumble through time was simply an accident.

"No, Dad. What is she talking about?" James demanded.

The Potter patriarch sighed and took off his glasses to rub at his eyes. "I think everybody should sit. This could take awhile. Maybe some Firewhiskey as well?" He looked hopefully over to Dorea, who stared back for a bit before nodding in agreement.

James hesitated but upon seeing his mother nod went to the kitchen to grab glasses and the bottle of Ogden's he always kept around, by the time he came back into the sitting room everybody had settled down. James passed out glasses to everybody and filled them up, including to Hermione before he settled himself next to his wife.

"Alright," James said. "Now, tell us what is going on."

"This," Charlus held up the Watch, "has been in the Potter family for generations. I don't know when it came to us exactly but it has been passed down through the wives in the family."

"The wives?" Lily asked, surprised.

"Yes. It's the duty of every Potter heir to inform their wives of this device. I told Dorea about ten years into our marriage, when I wasn't sure we would be able to have a child."

Dorea took her husband's hand, both of them remembering the dark times of their marriage. They both had wanted a family fiercely but it didn't seem as if it would ever happen. She remembered the day Charlus told her about the Watch like it was yesterday. The Potter matriarch was exceedingly glad the responsibility of the Watch had never fallen on her shoulders, and her heart broke for the poor girl sitting in front of her. Knowing she had a long road ahead of her.

"Okay, so what is it then?" Sirius asked.

"It's a failsafe. If the last of the Potter bloodline dies, the current Lady Potter activates it using her blood. It will then send Lady Potter back to the previous owner, and allow her to work to change the outcome, to ensure the Potter line never dies out."

"Wait, when you say back...you mean in time?" James was incredulous. He grew up around magic his whole life, but this seemed impossible.

"Yes, that is exactly what I mean. I don't know from how far into the future, but I'm guessing not too far. It's taken her to either you or me," Charlus stated matter of factly. "Perhaps, you should introduce yourself Miss Granger? Tell us where you came from?" He suggested.

"I...I don't know that is a good idea," Hermione countered.

"Everybody here is family. They all have a right to know. It will be okay, I promise."

Oddly enough, even though they had just met, Hermione believed him. She knew she shouldn't reveal anything of importance, but technically she also shouldn't be sitting in a room full of dead people. This was not how she had planned her Saturday going. "Well, err...my name is Hermione Granger, and I really don't think I should say more than that. I'm already doing irreparable damage by even speaking to you. I can't give you any more information. Now please, give me the Watch back so I can figure out how to get home."

"Miss Granger, you must know there is no way to go forward in time," Dorea tried to reason with the girl. Both she and Charlus had done a lot of research into Time magic. He admitted to becoming fascinated by it once his father told him about the Watch, and as soon as she found out, she began researching as much as possible as well.

"No. There has to be and I will find it," Hermione insisted. "I have to go home. Now!"

Hermione was on her feet, pacing the sitting room and working herself into hysterics. This couldn't be happening to her. She lost her parents and Harry but she still had her work and the Weasleys. She had a life. A life she wanted to get back to desperately. There had to be a way for her to get home. It shouldn't have even been possible for her to travel back this….she didn't even know how far she had traveled back exactly. She guessed it was either 1978 or 1979. Harry clearly hadn't been born yet and it didn't look like Lily was pregnant.

Dorea rose from her seat and approached the agitated witch slowly. "Hermione," she said softly, trying not to frighten the younger girl more than she already was. "I am so sorry, dear girl. There isn't a way to send you home. The future doesn't exist. You can't go to a place that doesn't exist."

Hermione looked at the older woman with tears in her eyes, "But how? How is this possible? How am I supposed to sit back and just watch the world fall apart?"

"That's the point dear. You aren't. You are here to save our family, to make sure the world doesn't fall apart," Dorea tried to comfort her.

"I can't. Time can't be changed!"

"It can though. How much do you know about Time magic and how the timeline works?" Charlus asked.

"Enough. I've used a Time Turner before," Hermione informed the group.

"Time Turners take you back only a few hours. It's a little different," Dorea began.

Hermione interrupted her. "No, it's not different. Time is Time and horrible things happen to those who meddle in it."

"Not quite. Time Turners deal with small jumps, you've crossed through decades. Charlus and I have done quite a bit of research on this."

"Really?" James asked surprised.

"Yes, but not now James. As I was saying, think of Time as a tree. You were on one branch near the top. You've been taken off of the branch and added to a lower one, from there a new branch can sprout. Time is a growing and organic thing, it is fluid and constantly changing."

Everybody in the room remained silent as Dorea pulled Hermione into her arms, surprisingly the time traveller let her, clearly needing some comfort as her world shattered around her. As she felt Hermione calming down, Dorea walked her back to the couch she was previously sitting on and the two sat down together.

As he felt some of the tension leave the room, Sirius decided to try and lighten the mood. "See Lily? I told you I didn't know her. Though I wouldn't mind getting to know her a little bit better," he winked at Hermione.

James reached over and slapped him on the back of the head, while Lily groaned, "You're impossible!"

Hermione snorted at the same time, "Not in this lifetime Sirius Black. You just keep your paws to yourself."

"Oh come on love, I must still be as dashing as I am now when I'm….what year are you from?" The self declared dashing wizard asked.

Hermione gritted her teeth. It didn't seem as if they were going to ever let her leave without giving them information so she acquiesced. "1999."

"39!" Sirius shouted. "Please tell me I age well. I still have my hair right?" Sirius worried.

"Umm..well," How could she put this without telling him that for her he had been dead for three years? "I haven't seen you in quite some time. But the last time I saw you, yes you had all of your hair."

"What? Why haven't you seen me? If it's only twenty years in the future I'm sure I've been around the Potter family…"

Hermione looked guilty, she can't tell them that everybody in the room is dead within 20 years. Four of them are dead in two years, and Sirius spends his entire adult life in one prison or another, with the exception of his two years on the run.

"What? What is it?" James demanded.

"I could use some more firewhiskey if you don't mind," Hermione asked realizing she had managed to drink the whole thing.

"This can't be good," Charlus surmised.

Hermione agreed. "It's really not, but please please don't make me tell you details," she begged.

"But we can help you," Dorea argued.

"No. I can't. Not now. Please don't ask that of me. I...I just need some time to adjust. Please." Hermione asked again. She needed to wrap her head around everything that had happened. She had just started adjusting to life after the war, and now her life had been upended again.

"Alright," Charlus agreed for the whole family. "We won't push for more details, but know we are here to help. We are indebted to you for saving our family Hermione Granger."

"I haven't agreed to anything yet," Hermione countered.

"Not yet, but you will," Charlus said with a slightly smug smile, confident that this little witch would be their savior.

With everybody's glasses of Firewhiskey refilled, James asked again. "So what is so bad that you don't want to tell us? Obviously most of us don't make it 20 years if it is you being sent back and not Lily. But what exactly happened?"

"Long story short, my best friend was the last of the Potters but he died a little over a year ago and left me the title of Lady Potter. When we went to Gringotts for the reading of his Will and to conduct an Inventory, well that's when I found the Watch and started researching it. I honestly had no idea what it did, it simply looked interesting and I wanted to know more about it. I hadn't even finished all of my research, I just knew it was some sort of Time device. I didn't mean to activate it but I cut my hand then accidentally grabbed it."

"But that doesn't.." James began before being interrupted by his mother.

"James dear, I think that might be enough questioning for one night. Our guest here has been through a lot," Dorea mildly reprimanded. "Now Lily, how about some dinner? Were you able to salvage anything?"

"Oh, err.." Lily stuttered. "Not really. It was pretty much destroyed when she landed on top of it." The red head glared at Hermione.

"Well surely it won't be that difficult to whip something up with your wand quickly?" Dorea suggested with a false sweetness.

Lily, getting flustered, didn't know how to respond to her mother-in-law without sounding incompetent. "Err...I'm just not really comfortable cooking with magic," she tried to justify.

Hermione then decided to interrupt the two, sensing the tension. "Listen, if I could at least have my wand and the Watch back so I can get going. I need to figure out what I'm going to do next."

"Going?" Charlus questioned. "Going where?"

"Err..I hadn't really thought that far ahead, probably to the Leaky Cauldron and I'll get a room…" Hermione trailed off.

"Nonsense! You'll stay with us," Charlus declared.

"Oh, no. Thank you sir, but that's not necessary. I'm sure I'll be okay on my own," the time traveller tried to reason with the Potter patriarch.

"You could always stay at my place," Sirius added with a wink.

Hermione simply rolled her eyes at Sirius's flirtatious nature, "Not a chance."

"What's wrong with staying at my place love? You said I was dashing even at 39!"

"Actually I believe I said that you still had all of your hair, that does not translate into dashing."

James began to laugh at the incredulous look on his best friend's face. "I think you may have met your match Padfoot. I don't think I have ever witnessed a witch turn you down before," He said as he slapped the young Black wizard on the back, not missing the look of pure determination on Sirius's face.

"Miss Granger," Charlus said pulling Hermione's attention back to more important matters. "I really think it is best you stay at Potter Manor for the time being. These are dangerous times. If anybody was to find out who you are or where you come from, the consequences would be unpleasant to say the least. Here is your wand and the Watch, but I must insist that you let us keep you safe."

Hermione thought it over. It would be quite odd for a British witch to appear out of nowhere, yet still be tied to a prominent Pureblood family. It wouldn't necessarily be forever, and it would be better than staying with Sirius or James and Lily. Though based on the scowl Lily had been directing at her since she had woken, she wasn't so sure she would be welcome to stay at James and Lily's anyway. Maybe staying at Potter Manor would be the best solution. Even if it was only for a few days.

After having made her decision, Hermione acquiesced. "Alright, but only until I can figure something else out."

Dorea clapped her hands together once. "Wonderful! Anything you need at all just let us know, after all dear you are family now. So Lily, how about dinner?"

"If you don't mind I can help," Hermione offered. "I've gotten quite good at cooking with magic. Long days at the ministry plus living alone, it became kind of a necessity."

Lily gritted her teeth, something she did often when spending time with her in-laws and it seemed now Hermione as well, "Of course. That would be lovely."

The two went into the kitchen leaving James, Sirius, Charlus, and Dorea to continue discussing the events of the night.

Once the two witches were out of earshot James turned to his parents, "Dad, how can you be sure she can be trusted? As you said, these are dangerous times and it's not as if we have been quiet about our beliefs."

"James this...this Watch, well it's quite fascinating. The only way it would have worked is if she fit the requirements, not to mention it only presents itself to the correct person when it is time to be used. This has been a protected family secret for centuries. I am positive that since she was able to use this, she is trustworthy. She is here to prevent the downfall of our family, whether she accepts that or not just yet." Charlus tried to reassure James.

"But.." the Potter heir tried to protest.

"No, James," Dorea cut him off. "That is enough. This is about our future. We must help her by any means necessary. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mum," James agreed.

"I just have one question," Sirius interjected. "You think she's single?"

James groaned and chuckled at the same time, "I don't think she's interested mate. Besides you're old in her time."

"Yes, but I'm not now and she's quite fit," Sirius reasoned.

Charlus chuckled at Sirius's antics while Dorea simply rolled her eyes. There were somethings that would never change.

"Dinner is ready!" Hermione called from the dining room.

The four occupants of the sitting room all got up and entered into the dining room, hoping they would actually be able to eat dinner this time. As they walked into the room they were all taken aback by the delicious smell of a freshly made lasagna.

"So it's not the roast and turkey that Lily made, but we were able to throw something together quickly," Hermione informed them with a nervous smile. "Everybody can dig in."

After everybody served themselves and began to eat, they all groaned in pleasure.

"Hermione, this is perfect!" Dorea exclaimed.

"Absolutely wonderful," Charlus praised.

"Bloody brilliant. Best meal I've had all week," James added, then noticing the glare from Lily tried to backtrack. "I just mean...err…" he trailed off not knowing how to finish that.

Sirius began to laugh at his best friend. "Nice one Prongs, you really stepped in that one. Now Hermione, I just have one question for you."

"Yes Sirius?" Hermione responded in a slightly bored tone.

"Marry me? Because if you can cook this well, I can only imagine what other skills you would have."

He had just enough time to duck out of the way of the stinging hex she shot at him, much to the delight of everybody in the room. Even Lily cracked a smile for the first time since Hermione had arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello to all of you amazing readers! I am so sorry that I have waited so long between posts. I wasn't sure where I was going with this chapter at first and then life got in the way. It has been a crazy few weeks: my sister's bridal shower which I was planning and then work. I do appreciate all of your reviews and comments on facebook. They have definitely given me the motivation to keep writing. As always I would like to thank travelliah for being the best beta/writing buddy/cheerleader I could ask for. As always please review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything. It all belongs to JK Rowling.**

Chapter 3

 _Hermione was laying in bed on her side of the tent. Silent tears were streaming down her face, eyes wide open staring at nothing. This is how Harry found her, coming in from his watch. It was a scene he stumbled upon all too often these days. Ron had been gone for days, maybe weeks. She honestly didn't know at this point. Their time on the run seemed to blend together. One day was the same as the next, with progress never being made. Now that Ron was gone, everything seemed even more hopeless._

 _Harry climbed into bed behind her and held her as she cried. It was all they could do to keep each other afloat; as both of their hearts were shattered at their friend's abandonment. Hermione knew she had to pull herself out of this funk, to start making plans again, find the Horcruxes and attempt to win the war that she had been dragged into. But neither of them had any idea of where they should start._

 _Eventually, Harry got up to try and make something for them to eat, not that they had much. When they had first started living out of the tent, Hermione had been the one to cook but they quickly discovered she was not the best at it. Harry eventually took over seeing as he was the one with the most experience, having grown up cooking for the Dursleys. Hermione had pouted for days, unhappy that there was something she couldn't do. Harry and Ron had laughed at her, then Harry promised to teach her to cook once the war was over._

 _The curly haired witch followed Harry's example and got out of bed as well to join him in the kitchen, the two friends eating in silence as usual. To fill that silence, Harry started fiddling with the radio, seemingly doing anything to distract himself from the tension that constantly filled the tent. He eventually stumbled upon a station playing a song he recognized his Aunt Petunia used to listen to all the time. Hermione noticed a glint in his eye, Sirius used to refer to it as his "Marauder look", a second before he stood up and pulled her to her feet as well. Hermione half-heartedly protested but after a few seconds of Harry's cajoling he began to twirl her around the tent. The two danced through the next song as well, smiling and laughing. Maybe just maybe, Hermione thought, it wasn't so hopeless after all._

Hermione slowly came awake, realizing she had fallen asleep on the couch in the library again. Something that happened all too often in the past year, the only difference this time instead of waking up alone she woke up to the whispers of two wizards. One held her wrist gently in his hand while the other was slowly sliding a book under it. Neither realized she had woken yet.

"What are you two doing?" Hermione asked groggily, startling the Marauders.

"Hermione!" James exclaimed at the same time Sirius shouted,"You're awake!"

Both had jumped slightly, not expecting the young witch to have woken up. They had played this prank on both Lily and Remus before, both having slept through it.

"You see, we were just…" James began but trailed off.

Sirius spoke up again at the same time, "Well, we wanted to..."

Hermione held up her hand to stop their pitiful excuses, "You know what? No, just stop. I really don't care. You're both idiots, you know that?" She sat up stretching and yawning.

"What?" James gawked at her, looking slightly dumbfounded.

"No yelling? No hexing?" Sirius added. "That's it?"

"Nope. Just don't wake me up again. I've only really started sleeping through the night the past couple of months. Next time, expect a Bat-Bogey."

The two Animagi stared at each other confused. Sirius was willing to leave it, not wanting to incur the wrath of the witch he was fascinated with, but James, daredevil that he was, decided to push the issue.

"Why?" James questioned, not used to _not_ being hexed over a prank.

Hermione simply snorted at their bewilderment, "Wait until you meet the Weasley Twins. I don't think anything you do can compare to the two of them."

James thought about this for a minute, "Fair enough. So why are you sleeping down here?"

"Fell asleep researching. Happens all the time. Why are you two bothering me?" She shot back at him, enjoying the banter between them. It was almost like having Harry back. Almost.

"I'm still on my quest to convince you to go out with me," Sirius interjected with a smirk on his unnaturally handsome face.

It truly amazed her the amount of damage Azkaban had done to the man. When she met him he looked to be a man in his late-forties early-fifties rather than his mid-thirties. To see him as a young man, whole and full of life was shocking to say the least.

Hermione snorted, "Never going to happen."

"Alright, you win. Let's skip the dating and just get married, yeah?" Sirius flashed her a winning smile, that she was sure made other witches swoon.

James shook his head, as he advised, "You really should just let it go, mate."

"You didn't let it go with, Lily," the grey-eyed Wizard pointed out.

James scowled.

"What?" Hermione asked.

James was confused. "What do you mean 'what'?"

"What was that look for?"

"What look?"

"That scowl. What happened?"

"Nothing," James tried to avoid the conversation. Unfortunately his best friend wouldn't let him.

"It's Lily," Sirius answered for James. "They've been fighting all week. Since that dinner."

"Pads, I really don't want to talk about this," James warned." Let it go for now."

"No, maybe Hermione here can help. She's a girl," Sirius exclaimed, believing his idea to be brilliant.

"Astute observation Sirius, you are the second Wizard to notice that," Hermione responded drily. "I doubt I'll be much help though. I don't really have much experience with relationships. And I've never really gotten on well with other girls."

"A pretty witch like you never had a relationship? I find that hard to believe," Sirius tried flirting with the curly-haired time traveler.

"I didn't say I've never had a relationship, just that I don't have much experience. I've had one boyfriend. He was two years older than me, didn't speak much English, and then invited me home for the summer to meet his parents," Hermione informed the two wizards, while thinking back to her relationship with Viktor. She had quite liked him, but he wanted to be more serious than she did and with the return of Voldemort she knew it would have never worked between them as her priorities were elsewhere. "Anyway, I am curious though as to what happened now. From stories I've heard about the two of you, you're supposed to be the perfect couple and deliriously in love."

James sighed, realizing it probably would be a good idea to get an outside perspective, somebody who didn't know either him or Lily. "Well, Lily and my mother don't exactly get along. My mother doesn't think that Lily is good enough for me, and Lily is just fed up with trying to get her approval. Basically Lily wants me to distance myself from the whole situation with you, and I'm refusing to. It's my duty to my family to help you in anyway possible, but Lily believes that my first duty should be to the family she and I have created."

"Wait, she isn't…." Hermione trailed off.

"Isn't what?" James was confused.

"Pregnant, is she?"

"What? No! Not that I know of at least."

"Good, it's too early," Hermione declared, mostly to herself. She knew Lily shouldn't be pregnant with Harry until sometime towards the end of 1979.

"What do you mean it's too early?" Sirius asked with an air of curiosity.

In the week that Hermione had been with them, she had yet to reveal anything about her original timeline, and she knew Sirius was getting impatient for details. The Potter's were lovely and allowing her more time, but every time she had seen Sirius, he had always pushed for more.

After her first few days she had realized Charlus and Dorea were right. There was no going back for her, and even if there was….would she want to? She loved the Weasley's and the work she did with the Wizengamot but for the most part her life was almost hollow. No matter the effect on the timeline, could she really go back to a time knowing she had the chance to bring Harry back? To allow him a childhood with his parents? To give Ginny her soulmate? It even extended beyond the Potter's. Harry and the Potter's destinies were so intertwined with Voldemort that she could give the Weasley's Fred. George would never know what it's like to lose his twin. Molly and Arthur would never have to know the pain that comes with burying a child, as no parent should ever outlive their children. Neville could have his parents. The amount of good she could do was overwhelming. Despite the fact she had no desire to fight in a war again, she would do it in a heartbeat if it meant she could give her family a better world.

"Well…" Hermione began.

"Are you finally going to tell us something?" James interrupted excitedly. He, unlike his best friend, had been patient with Hermione, but she still knew he wanted to know everything.

"I would if I knew I wouldn't be interrupted every five seconds," the time-traveler mock glared at the messy-haired wizard. "What I was going to say is that my best friend isn't supposed to be born until next July, so if Lily was pregnant now it's a little too soon."

"So I'll...I'll be a dad next year?" James was awe-struck at the idea of having a child, of being a father.

Hermione and Sirius chuckled at the look of wonderment, terror, and happiness on James's face.

"Well, in theory, but I recommend stop pissing your wife off if you ever want that to happen," Hermione joked.

James sobered a little at this comment, "You think she would be a little more grateful to you. Honestly it's like she's almost jealous, but you're just here to help."

Hermione didn't know what to say to that and it seemed neither did Sirius, so both chose to remain silent while the Potter heir worked through whatever was going on in his head.

After a few moments of silence James spoke again, "Can you tell me about him?"

Hermione blinked, "Who?"

"My son."

"You want me to tell you about Harry?" Hermione questioned, unsure as to why. This time around he would be able to get to know his son. Not to mention, anything that she knew about him could change simply due to her presence in this timeline.

"Harry? That's his name?" James asked, a little desperately.

"Why? You know anything that I knew about him could now be false. Me being here changes everything. I have no idea what this Harry will be like. He won't be my Harry," she glanced at Sirius, hoping he could give some insight into his friend, but all he did was shrug. He wanted to know about his godson, because who else would James choose as godfather, as much as James did.

"I just need…" James trailed off, but gave Hermione a pleading look, and in that moment she understood. He needed to know what she was fighting for, why she was fighting. He needed to know there was hope for not just his future, but the future of his family.

So Hermione began, "His name was Harry James. We actually met on the train to Hogwarts our first year, but didn't become friends until Halloween. After that Harry, myself, and another boy in our year Ron were all inseparable. Until the very end." She had a wistful smile on her face, remembering all the times they laughed together, fought together, saved each other.

"What happened at the end?" Sirius asked quietly after giving her a moment to collect herself.

"Harry did what Harry always did. He sacrificed himself to save the rest of us."

"Why?" James choked out. "Why would he do that?"

"Because that is who Harry was. At that point we had all been fighting for so long. The war had been going on openly for about two years, but we, Harry, Ron, and I, had been fighting Voldemort together since our first year. We had also been on the run and living in a tent for almost a year, the entirety of the Order and every single Muggleborn that could had been in hiding. You think it's bad now?" she asked the two wizards. "Imagine if Voldemort succeeded and actually took over the Ministry, because that is exactly what he did. I think, as much as Harry loved us and wanted to live, he walked toward Voldemort at peace with his decision knowing that we would be able to defeat him. Harry died knowing the world would be a better place, and he was able to move on and be with his family. You have to understand that Harry grew up unloved, and then he entered this world with no guidance and almost immediately had to fight for his life. He then lost nearly every person he considered family. None of us really had a childhood, so it didn't surprise me that he faced death so willingly."

The two wizards sat in silence, with tears in their eyes. They had expected it to be bad, but they could never guess at the amount of anguish the young woman in front of them had been through.

Sirius was the one to speak first, "You said he grew up unloved. Why? I know the Potters would never treat their grandson that way, and neither would James or Lily."

"James and Lily," Hermione started. "Fuck, this is hard. James and Lily were killed a few months after Harry's first birthday. I'm unsure what happened to Charlus and Dorea but Harry was sent to live with Lily's sister and her family as they were his only living relatives at the time."

"No," James emphatically stated. "Petunia hates Lily. She even refused to be a bridesmaid in our wedding. I'm pretty sure the only reason she was even there is because her parents forced her to be. There is no way we would have allowed that. I'm sure we stipulated in a Will that any children of ours would go to Sirius, Remus, and Peter."

"I'm sure you're correct. As I have never seen yours and Lily's Will, I can not say for sure, but there were…extenuating circumstances that prevented that from happening."

"Extenuating circumstances? What the bloody hell does that mean?" Sirius demanded.

"Please don't make me go through everything right now. Can't you just accept that I won't let it happen?" Hermione begged.

"No! I want to know," the man-child that was Sirius Black continued.

"Pads, maybe we should let this go for now?" James suggested. "She's already given us a lot."

Sirius seemed to be at war with himself for a few seconds before he acquiesced and then pouted like a petulant child, "Fine, but I demand to know later."

Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes at his dramatics. It seemed no matter the age or time spent in Azkaban, Sirius Black would always be a drama queen.

"Well enough of this depressing shit," James declared, forcefully attempting to lighten the mood. "My wife is being a right harpy and I was looking to cause a bit of trouble with my mates, but seeing as Remus has been MIA and Peter is taking care of his Mum, I'm stuck with this git. Care to join us Miss Granger?"

"Cause some trouble? I think I've caused enough trouble for one lifetime," Hermione laughed, putting all thoughts of her task out of her head for the time being. "But what were you thinking?"

"Head down to the pub, drink away our sorrows," Sirius answered for James.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Hermione tried to get out of their plans for the rest of the afternoon and evening. "I'm not a big drinker."

Sirius snorted. "I think that much is obvious. But somebody has to keep the two of us in line, as the job usually falls to Moony and he is not here, it is up to our second favorite bookworm."

Hermione pretended to be indignant. "And just how do you know I am a bookworm?"

"Oh please, you have spent every day in the library since you've got here," James laughed.

Hermione was silent for a moment before she agreed, "Fair enough. I do enjoy a good library. Seriously though, I tended to avoid the parties at Hogwarts, and then after the war we would go out occasionally but it got to be too much. Too many people trying to talk to us or thank us for 'our services to the Wizarding World'. It was awful."

"Oh come on. It will be fun. I promise we're a riot," Sirius enticed her. "And here, nobody knows who you are. Nobody will try to talk to you if you don't want them to. You could always just say you're with me," he winked at her.

"I think I'd rather say I was with James." She smirked. At this point Hermione was simply getting entertainment out of goading Sirius. She was reminded of him purposefully antagonizing her when they all stayed at Grimmuald Place, now she enjoyed the fact the tables were reversed. "But a night out does sound fun. It could do me some good to let loose a little."

"Don't worry Mione, we'll show you a good time," James assured her with a smile.

"Just let me clean up a little bit first. I'll meet you by the Floo in an hour."

Hermione walked out of the library leaving the two wizards alone.

"I'm going to marry that witch someday, Prongs," Sirius assured his best friend.

James turned to Sirius and punched him in the arm. "Don't mess with her Padfoot. We need her."

"I know. I'm not messing with her. You said that when you first saw Lily, you just knew. When I first saw Hermione, I just knew," Sirius argued. "You know I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the family."

"I know, I know. It's just...don't push her. Even if you have good intentions, we don't want her to walk away if you push too far."

"I doubt she would ever walk away from the Potter's. You heard how she spoke about her friend. She would do anything for him."

James glared, not saying anything.

"Fine, fine. I'll back off for now, but I won't forever," the dog animagus conceded. "Come on, let's go wait for her and head to the Leaky."

James silently agreed, and the two wizards left leaving the library empty.


End file.
